Microstructure modeling of a sintered Al–4Si–0.6Mg alloy extruded at semi-solid temperature ranges

The microstructure evolution of sintered and extruded samples of Al–4Si–0.6Mg powder alloys at various semi-solid temperature ranges of 560 °C, 580 °C, and 600 °C, holding times of 600, 1200, and 1800 s, and strain rates of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 s−1 was studied. From the stress–strain curves and metallographic studies, Arrhenius grain growth model and Avrami dynamic recrystallization model have been formulated by means of linear regression. Parameters such as peak strain, critical strain, recrystallization fraction, and material constants have been found using the above equations. The experimental and calculated values of various material parameters agree with each other, indicating the accuracy of the developed model. Finite element method-based simulations were performed using DEFORM 2D software, and the average grain size obtained from experiments and simulations was validated by means of average grain size. The relative density of the compacted specimens as well as the extruded specimens was also simulated. The simulation results showed that large grains appeared at high temperatures and at the bottom of the specimen.

Dust opacity variations in the pre-stellar core L1544

Context. The study of dust emission at millimeter wavelengths is important to shed light on the dust properties and physical structure of pre-stellar cores, the initial conditions in the process of star and planet formation. Aims. Using two new continuum facilities, AzTEC at the Large Millimeter Telescope Alfonso Serrano and MUSTANG-2 at the Green Bank Observatory, we aim to detect changes in the optical properties of dust grains as a function of radius for the well-known pre-stellar core L1544. Methods. We determined the emission profiles at 1.1 and 3.3 mm and examine whether they can be reproduced in terms of the current best physical models for L1544. We also made use of various tools to determine the radial distributions of the density, temperature, and dust opacity in a self-consistent manner. Results. We find that our observations cannot be reproduced without invoking opacity variations. New temperature and density profiles, as well as opacity variations across the core, have been derived with the new data. The opacity changes are consistent with the expected variations between uncoagulated bare grains, toward the outer regions of the core, and grains with thick ice mantles, toward the core center. A simple analytical grain growth model predicts the presence of grains of ~3–4 μm within the central 2000 au for the new density profile.